Sheet-controlling device.



G. F. READ.

SHEET CONTROLLING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 11, 1306,

998,986, Patented July 25, 1911.

5 SHEETFSHEET 1.

G. P. READ.

SHEET CONTROLLING DEVICE.

11221110111011 FILED MAY 11, 1900.

Patented July 25, 1911.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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Q Z QM G. F. READ.

SHEET CONTROLLING DEVICE. APPLIOAT'ION FILED my 11, 1900.

Patented July 25, 1911.

G. F. READ.

SHEET CONTROLLING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED Mn 11, 1906.

998,986. Patented July 25, 1911.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

I fmvekdor:

COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPH CO1, VIASNINDTON D- C.

G. F. READ. SHEET CONTROLLING DEVICE.

APPLICATION-FILED MAY 11, 1906.

Patented July 25, 1911.

5 SHEETS-8HEBT 5.

COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPH c0.. WASHINnTuN. D. :1

UNTTED STATES ATEN 'FFTQE.

GEORGE F. READ, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TOB. HOE AND 00., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

SHEET-CONTROLLING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 25, 1911.

Application filed May 11, 1906. Serial No. 316,260.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE F. READ, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York, county of Kings, and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Sheet-ControllingDevices, fully described and represented in the following specificationand the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

This invention relates to certain improvements in sheet controllingdevices for use in printing machines, or machines in which it is desiredto maintain the register of a plurality of superposed sheets.

In printing machines and particularly in those machines in which aplurality of sheets is superposed on a carrier prior to delivery, such,for instance, as the ordinary collecting cylinder of a rotary printingmachine, difficulty has been experienced in maintaining the. superposedsheets in proper register. The sheet carriers are, as a rule, providedwith some form of sheet taking devices, a usual form being gripperswhich release their hold upon the sheets already placed upon the carrierduring the operation of taking an additional sheet. When a new sheet isplaced upon those already laid upon the carrier, the hold of the sheettaking devices having been released, there is a liability that thesheets already on the carrier will shift their position, so that a freshsheet does not come in proper position with respect to them. Variousdevices have been devised to overcome this liability of the sheets toshift, the device usually resorted to being a set of tapes whichcooperate with the sheet carrier or collecting cylinder. Tapes areobjectionable, however, for the reason that they are liable to smut thefreshly printed sheets and for the further reason that it is diflicultto so position the tapes as to cause them to operate on the leading endsof the sheets on the carrier at the time when the sheet holding grippersare opened, so that they do not effectively hold the superposed sheets.

The present invention has for its object to provide improved sheetcontrolling devices which operate in connection with a sheet carrierprovided with sheet taking devices, the construction being such thatsheets already placed upon the carrier and superposed thereon will beeffectively prevented from shifting at the time additional sheets arebeing taken.

Referring to the drawings Figure 1 is a plan view of the collectingcylinder of a prmtlng machine illustrating the application of mechanismembodying the invention thereto. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation, on alarge scale, showing the collecting cylinder illustrated in Fig. 1, andalso representing diagrammatically the position of the sheet forwardingcylinder and the cylinder to which the sheets are delivered from thecollecting cylinder. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Flg. 2, but showing theparts in a different position. Fig. 4 is a view showing the end of thecylinders illustrated in Figs. 2 and 8, certain parts appearing insection. Fig. 5 1s an end view with some parts broken out, illustratingcertain modified features of the construction. Fig. 6 is a plan view ofa portion of a web such as will be forwarded by the mechanism shown inFig. 5.

The mechanism shown for the purpose of illustrating a concreteembodiment of the invention is the collecting delivery of a web printingmachine, the collecting cylinder being of the three-part type. It willbe understood, however, that the invention is not to be restricted tocollecting cylinders of a three-part type, or, indeed, to use withcollecting cylinders, as it might be employed in connect-ion with othersheet carriers on which a plurality of sheets are laid in succession.

The sheet carrier or collecting cylinder, indicated at l, is mounted, asis usual, on a shaft 2 which will be supported in suitable bearings inthe printing frame.

Suitable means will be employed for forwarding or directing the sheetsto the carrier. While these means may be varied in character, in theconstruction illustrated, the ordinary cutting cylinders 3 are employedfor this purpose, the shafts of these cylinders being indicated at 4,(see Fig. It will be understood, of course, that when this form ofdirecting mechanism is employed, the cutting cylinders will carry aknife or knives and the usual cutting wood or woods, as is usual, thecutting Woods on the cylinder 3 being indicated at 5, each cutting woodresting, as is usual, on a metallic base 6. The knives illustrated aremarked 5.

Suitable means will be employed in connection with the directingmechanism, whatever be its type, to enable the sheets to be positivelyheld and forwarded. In the construction illustrated in Figs. 1 to 1, theforwarding or directing cylinder is provided with castings as 7 whichare chambered out as indicated at 8 to form air chambers which will bein communication with any suitable suction. producing means, not shown.The metallic bases of the cutting woods close the chambers 8, suctionperforations indicated in dotted lines at 9 in Figs. 2 and 3 beingformed through the base and wood. These perforations are so located asto cause the leading ends of the sheets to be held on the cylinder bythe suction. Suitable control.- ling means, not shown, are employed forcutting 0d the suction from the sheet at the proper time so as to enableit to be delivered to the collecting cylinder or other carrier.

The sheet taking devices employed in connection with the sheet carriermay be widely varied in construction. In the best constructions and asillustrated, the sheet taking devices will consist of grippers. In theconstruction shown, inasmuch as the cylinder is a three-part cylinder,three sets of sheet taking grippers 10 are employed, these grippersbeing mounted on shafts 11 journaled in the cylinder heads. Each of theshafts is provided with an operating means consisting of a double crank12, 13, one arm 13 of the crank carrying a roll 14 which contacts withthe cams which may be employed for operating the gripper shaft. Theother arm of the crank has connected to it a spring rod construction 15of the usual type which serves to rock the shaft 11 to close thegrippers at proper times after they have been positively opened.

When the type of sheet taking grippers so far described is employed,suitable cams will be also employed for operating the gripper shaft. Inthe construction shown, the cam for opening and closing the grippers isillustrated at 16 (see Figs. 1 and 4), this cam being a stationary camon the frame of the machine and being so positioned and of such aconformation as to open and close the grip pers at the sheet takingpoint.

When the sheet taking devices consist of grippers, they should, ofcourse, be opened at the time the sheets are to be delivered from thesheet carrier and with the type of grippers illustrated, this openingfor the purpose of delivery will also be effected by a cam. Inasmuch,however, as the collecting cylinder illustrated is of the three-parttype, collecting four sheets before delivery, the cam employed mustnecessarily be of such a character as to allow the grippers to passwithout opening for the purpose of delivery for three revolutions. Anefiective opening means which may be resorted to under such conditionsis a swinging cam, such a cam being indicated at 17 (see dotted lines inFigs. 2 and This swinging cam may be operated in any desired way, ausual construction being that indicated in dotted lines in Figs. 2 and3, in which the shaft 18, on which the cam is mounted, is provided withan operating arm 19, this arm being moved by a connecting rod 20 workingin connection with a cam 21 on the cylinder 22 to which the sheets aredelivered. It may be remarked that this cylinder 22 is, in theparticular construction illustrated, provided with a pair of intergearednipping jaws 23, the collected sheets being tucked into these jaws bystationary tucking blades 24 mounted on the sheet carrier, there being,of course, three of these blades, one for each sheet re ceiving surface.

The swinging cam referred to may, if desired, be located on the end ofthe cylinder opposite to that on which the cam for opening and closingthe grippers, in order to enable them to take the sheets, is located. 1Vhen, as in the construction illustrated, this form of mechanism isadopted, the shafts 11 will be provided. with additional cranks 25 onwhich the swinging cam may operate. This form of swinging camconstruct-ion for operating the grippers of multiple-part collectingcylinders is well-known in the art.

The sheet holding devices which operate to retain the sheets in positionmay be widely varied in construction and location. In the presentconstruction, however, these devices will be arranged to operate on theleading ends of the sheets and .also on the leading edges of these ends.In the construction illustrated, these sheet holding devices consist ofsets of grippers 2-6. When the sheet holding devices referred to consistof grippers, the grippers may be mounted and operated in a variety ofways. As shown, the grippers are mounted on carrier blocks 27, theseblocks being formed to pro vide hubs 28 which surround rock shafts 29.Each rock shaft is carried in crank arms 30, these arms being mounted ona shaft 31 journaled in the cylinder heads. One end of each of theshafts 29 projects through the end of the cylinder, slots 32 (indicatedin dotted lines in Fig. 2 and in full lines in Fig. 1) being provided inthe cylinder head to accommodate the ends of the shafts. Each of theshafts 29 is, in the construction shown, provided with a segmental gear33, these gears meshing with segments 34; loosely mounted on the ends ofthe shafts 31. The hubs of these segment gears 34 are provided withoperating arms 35, these arms carrying bowls 36 which contact with asuitable operating cam 40.

It will be understood, of course, that inasmuch as the holding grippers,when grippers are employed, operate to hold the sheets already laid onthe cylinder during the time when an additional sheet is being laidthereon, this additional sheet will overlie the grippers. These holdinggrippers must, therefore, in constructions like that being described, begiven a mo ement to withdraw them from beneath the overlying sheet andthen a movement which will bring them back into operating position. Theconstruction which has just been described is well adapted for effectingthe movement of the holding grippers referred to. By operating eachsegment 34, it being remembered that the segments 34 are loose on theshafts 31 and that the segments 33 are fast on the shafts 29, it will beunderstood that the shafts 29 will be rocked about their axial centers,thus causing the holding grippers to be moved away from and out fromunderneath the sheet which has been laid over them. By then giving theshaft 31 proper movements, the crank arms 30 will impart a bodilymovement to the shaft 29 and the grippers so as to cause them to againcome into operative position to hold the sheet. In the particularconstruction illustrated, this bodily movement, which occurs after thegrippers have been withdrawn from beneath the overlying sheet, is firstslightly outward from the center of the cylinder and then inward anddownward. The successive positions of the holding grippers are wellillustrated in Figs. 2 and 3.

The shaft 31 is provided with a crank arm 3'? carrying a bowl 38, thisbowl contacting with a suitably locatel cam 39 which is stationary onthe frame. The bowl 36 on the arm 35 contacts with a cam 40 alsostationary on the frame. In the operation of the mechanism, the cam 40first acts on the bowl 36 to rock the segments, thus bringing theholding grippers into the position illustrated on the right hand side ofFig. 2, after which the cam 39 operates to give the grippers a slightoutward movement. The earns 39 and 40 are located on opposite ends ofthe cylinders, as appears in Fig. 1. After the cam 39 has, through themechanism described, moved the grippers into the position shown at thebottom of Fig. 2, the bowls 36 and 38 run 01f the cams and the grippersare allowed to close, the closing of the grippers being effected in anysuitable manner, as, for instance, by torsional springs 41, 42 which aremounted on the shafts 29 and 31.

Vhile the mechanism which has just been described is a simple andeffective mechanism for giving the holding grippers the movementsreferred to, any other suitable mechanism may be substituted therefor.

In the best constructions and as shown, means will be provided forpositively positioning the leading ends of the sheets, so that they maybe acted upon by the taking grippers. Vhile this may be efiected invarious ways, in the construction illustrated, there are providedtucking blades 43 which are mounted on slides 44 moving in suitable wayson the castings 7 referred to. The slides are operated by segments 45mounted on rock shafts 46 supported in one of the cylinders 3. Each rockshaft is provided with an operating arm and bowl 47, the bowl running ona cam 48 on the frame, this cam being indicated in Fig. 2.Notwithstanding the fact that the leading edge of the sheet when it isdelivered to the sheet carrier overlies the holding grippers, it will bythis positive positioning device be forced down so that it will besurely caught by the taking grippers or other sheet taking devices whichmay be employed.

The intergeared nipping jaws 23 may be operated by a rock-shaft 49 onwhich one of the jaws is mounted, this shaft being rocked by a cam rolland arm 50 operating in connection with a stationary cam 51 suitablymounted on the machine frame.

Instead of using a forwarding mechanism such as hereinbefore describedin which sheets are out and then retained on one of the cuttingcylinders by retaining means such as suction devices, the sheets may besevered just prior to the time when they are taken by the sheet takingdevices before described. Vhile this may be effected in various ways,Fig. 5 illustrates an effective construction for accomplishing thisresult. In Fig. 5, the cylinders 33 are employed as before, but theknives 5 instead of operating to sever the webs completely will severthem along broken lines, as indicated at 52 in Fig. 6, small holdingbonds being left between the broken cuts. The suction mechanism beforedescribed is omitted, and the cylinder 1 is provided with three knives,one of which is illustrated at 53 in Fig. 5. These knives 53 will belocated in the openings in which the grippers 10 and 26 work, and willbe so arranged as to cooperate with the grooves in the cutting woods 5.These knives 53, as the web is forwarded, complete the cuts along thebroken lines 52 so as to sever the webs into sheets, the leading edgesof the sheets being positioned by the tucking blades 43 before referredto, so as to be taken by the grippers in the manner hereinbefo-redescribed. These knives 53 will, in the best construct-ions, be providedwith gaps through which the grippers 10 and 26 may work. This form ofconstruction is in some respects simpler than that employing suctionmechanism, and further, is particularly adapted for use when it isdesired to run a plurality of associated webs between the cuttingcylinders.

Changes and variations may be made in the constructions by which theinvention is carried into effect. The invention is not, therefore, to belimited to the specific constructions herein shown and described.

hat is claimed is 1. The combination with a collecting cyl inder havinga rigid sheet supporting surface and cooperating sheet taking devices,of means for causing said devices to successively take each one of aplurality of sheets presented to said surface, sheet holding means, andmechanism for operating the sheet holding means to cause them to clampthe previous sheets taken by the sheet taking devices while said devicesare being withdrawn from beneath the sheet last taken, and to clamp thesheets already collected while the sheet taking devices are taking thenext sheet.

2. The combination with a collecting cylinder having a rigid sheetretaining surface, of a set of sheet taking grippers, a set of sheetholding grippers, means for operating the sheet taking grippers, andmeans for operating the sheet holding grippers to cause them to withdrawfrom beneath the sheet laid over them and to clamp the sheet last takenby the taking grippers.

3. The combination with a sheet carrier having a sheet supportingsurface, of sheet taking devices cooperating therewith, means forpositively positioning the leading end of the sheet so as to present itwithin the range of action of said device-s, means for operating saidsheet taking devices to cause them to take each one of a plurality ofsheets presented to the sheet supporting surface before delivery, sheetholding means, and mechanism for causing said means to operate on thesheets taken by the taking devices during the time said devices aretaking sheets.

f. The combination with a collecting cylinder having a sheet supportingsurface, of neans for delivering sheets thereto, sheet taking gripperson the cylinder cooperating with said surface, means for positivelypositioning the leading end of the sheets so that they will be taken bythe sheet taking grippers, means for operating the taking grippers tocause them to take each sheet presented to the surface, sheet holdinggrippers, and means for operating them to cause them to retain inposition the sheets taken by the taking grippers while said takinggrippers are operating.

5. The combination with a collecting cylinder, of a forwarding cylinderby which the sheets are directed to the collecting cylinder, a tuckingblade carried by the forwarding cylinder, said blade being positioned soas to operate on the leading end of the sheet, sheet taking grippers,sheet holding grippers, and means for operating the holding grippers toretain in position the sheets taken by the taking grippers while saidgrippers are operating.

6. The combination with a collecting cylinder, of a sheet forwardingcylinder, sheet holding means mounted on the forwarding cylinder, sheetpositioning means mounted on the forwarding cylinder, said holding andpositioning means being arranged to operate on the leading ends of thesheets, a sheet receiving surface on the collecting cylinder, a set ofsheet taking grippers cooperating therewith, a set of sheet holdinggrippers on the collecting cylinder also cooperating with the sheetreceiving surface, means for operating the taking grippers to cause themto take each sheet presented to the surface, and means for.operating theholding grippers to retain in position the sheets taken by the talringgrippers while said grippers are operating.

7. The combination with a collecting cylinder, of sheet taking devices,means for operating said devices to take a plurality of sheets insuccession sheet holding grippers, a shaft on which the grippers aremounted, means for giving the grippers a movement about the axis of theshaft, and means for giving the shaft and grippers a bodily movement.

8. The combination with a sheet carrier having sheet taking devices, ofmeans for operating the devices'to cause them to take a plurality ofsheets before delivery, means mounted on the carrier for holding thesheets in position while the sheet taking devices are being operated totake additional sheets, and means for severing a sheet just prior to thetime the leading end of the next sheet is taken by the sheet takingdevices.

9. The combination with a sheet carrier having sheet taking devices, ofmeans for operating said devices to cause them to take a plurality ofsheets before delivery, means mounted on the carrier for holding thesheets in position while the sheet taking devices are being operated totalre additional sheets, means for severing a sheet just prior to thetime the leading end of the next sheet is taken by the sheet takingdevices, and means for positioning the ends of the sheets.

10. The combination with a collecting cylinder, of two sets of devicesfor retaining sheets on the cylinder, means for operating said sets ofdevices alternately to cause them to operate on the same sheets, andmeans for severing a sheet from a web just prior to the time the leadingend of the next sheet is taken by said devices.

11. The combination with a collecting cylinder, of two sets of devicesfor retaining sheets on the cylinder, means for operating said sets ofdevices alternately to cause them to operate on the same sheets, meansfor severing a sheet from a web just prior to the time the leading endof the next sheet is taken by said devices, and means for positioningthe ends of the sheets so as to enable them to be taken.

12. The combination with a collecting cylinder, of a set of sheetholding grippers, a set of sheet taking grippers, means whereby saidgrippers may be alternately actuated to cause them to operate on thesame sheets, and means for severing a sheet from a web just prior to thetime the leading end of the next sheet is taken by the sheet takinggrippers.

13. The combination with a collecting cylinder, of a set of sheetholding grippers, a set of sheet taking grippers, means whereby saidgrippers may be alternately actuated to cause them to operate on thesame sheets, means for severing a sheet from a web just prior to thetime the leading end of the next sheet is taken by the sheet takinggrippers, and means for positioning the ends of the sheets to enablethem to be taken.

14. The combination with a collecting cylinder of a set of sheet holdinggrippers, a set of sheet taking grippers, means whereby said grippersmay be alternately actuated to cause them to operate on the same sheets,and a severing knife on the collecting cylinder operating to out a sheetjust prior to the time the leading end of the next sheet is taken by thetaking grippers.

15. The combination with a collecting cylinder, of a set of sheetholding grippers, a set of sheet taking grippers, means whereby saidgrippers may be alternately actuated to cause them to operate on thesame sheets, a severing knife on the collecting cylinder operating tocut a sheet just prior to the time the leading end of the next sheet istaken by the taking grippers, and means for positioning the ends of thesheets to enable them to be taken.

16. The combination with a collecting cylinder, of a set of sheetholding grippers, a set of sheet taking grippers, means whereby saidgrippers may be alternately actuated to cause them to operate on thesame sheets, a pair of cutting cylinders between which a web or webs maybe forwarded, knives on said cylinders for partially severing the webs,and a knife on the collecting cylinder for completing the severance ofthe web to form a sheet just prior to the time the leading end of thenext sheet is taken by the sheet taking grippers.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE F. READ. Witnesses:

A. WHITE, PHILIP N. TILDEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

